A favor request: When the 2022 edition of Social Security Made Simple went up on Amazon (print version here and Kindle version here), the reviews from prior editions did not carry over. If you have read the book and have a moment, I’d sincerely appreciate it if you could post a short review of what you thought. Other Recommended Reading Should You Tap Your Retirement Account to Buy a Home? from Christine Benz Tips for a Young Investor with Low Risk Tolerance from Ben Carlson The Best Personal Finance Inflation Hedges from Ben Carlson The Surprising Impact of Downsizing from Dan Solin How to Spend Your Nest Egg — Probability vs. Safety First from Jim Dahle When You Think About Investing, Don’t Think About the News from … [Read More...]

I’m happy to report that after a two-year hiatus, the Bogleheads Conference will be happening again this fall. It will be October 12-14, at the Oak Brook Hills Resort, in Westmont Illinois (15 miles from O’Hare Airport). Attendees will get to hear from Burton Malkiel, Michelle Singletary, Bill Bernstein, Jason Zweig, Christine Benz, Jim Dahle, Rick Ferri, Chris Mamula, Allan Roth, Jon Luskin, and Mike Piper. You can find more information (and get your tickets) at the link below. (And if you’re interested, do go ahead and get tickets, because Bogleheads events always sell out.) Bogleheads 2022 Conference Registration There’s also an ongoing Bogleheads forum thread about the conference here, with some additional information or if you have questions: It’s Time! Registration … [Read More...]

Anybody who spends time on the Bogleheads forum quickly becomes aware of the contributions made by Taylor Larimore. In addition to being one of the authors of the Bogleheads Guide to Investing, he’s one of the most prolific members on the forum, with thousands of posts answering people’s nuts and bolts questions about investing. This week I really enjoyed seeing Taylor get some mainstream-media recognition. Investing and Life Lessons From Taylor Larimore’s 98 Years of Wisdom from Allan Roth Recommended Reading Choose Your Status Game Wisely from Nick Maggiulli SEC Proposal Would Put Climate Risk Front and Center from Leslie Norton Robin Hood is the Pied Piper: The Cautionary Tale of the Meme-Stock Bubble from Russ Mitchell Part-Time Retirement Programs Are on the … [Read More...]

When you think of the words punk or rabble-rouser, you probably don’t think of a man in his late eighties, wearing a navy blazer and khakis. But as Eric Balchunas writes, that’s exactly what Vanguard founder Jack Bogle was. He turned an industry on its head, and he spoke his mind in a way that few people really do. As Balchunas notes, “His TV hits on business networks were mostly about the futility of trying to pick stocks or time the market. He’d give a speech at an ETF conference about why ETFs were awful, or trash active management at a conference for fund managers.” “He built an entire genre of investing by trying to eliminate everything that gets in the … [Read More...]

There is, at this point, roughly half a century of evidence showing that actively managed funds generally underperform their lower-cost passively managed counterparts. (And then there’s William Sharpe’s classic piece The Arithmetic of Active Management which succinctly demonstrates that the average actively managed dollar by definition will underperform the average passively managed dollar, assuming active management means higher costs.) But back in 2009 two researchers found that there might be a way to pick those actively managed funds that will outperform: by selecting based on “active share” (essentially, how different are this fund’s holdings relative to those of its benchmark). Sadly, that finding hasn’t really held up well. At all. The Evidence Mounts Against Active Share from Larry Swedroe Other Recommended … [Read More...]